Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2012-08-20 03:00
Carl, every mouthpiece has different reed requirements. It isn't just the facing, it's the inside measurements as well. All of the parameters of a mouthpiece's design combine to present a certain amount of resistance to the air column.
For example, on one of Walter's K11 mouthpieces that I own, which is significantly closer-tipped than the K14, I use a #4 V12. On my Gigliotti mouthpieces, which have very similar facings to the K11 (and several of his Chicago mouthpieces, now discontinued) I own, many 4s are too soft and I have to use 4-1/2. For the past couple of weeks, I've been using the close-tipped Rico Reserve (1mm), which has exactly the same facing curve and tip opening as my Gigliottis and nearly nearly the same as the K11 and Chicagos, and I can't play anything harder than a 3-1/2 on any of the three I bought. #3s are actually more comfortable. These facings are a great deal more similar to each other than your K14, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if a #3 is just right and a #3-1/2 too hard. On his website Walter recommends a #3 - 3-1/2 range. If you're comfortable with the #3 and not with the #3-1/2, then that's the reed you should play, especially if you produce a good sound with it.
Reed strength, beyond a certain point which I think you have long passed, is a function of its relationship to the mouthpiece it's attached to, not of the physical strength or conditioning of the player. If for some reason a harder reed were genuinely important, you would need to buy the reeds you want to use and then start searching for a mouthpiece they would play well on.
Resistance, by the way, affects more than just the tone quality. Whether too little, too much or just enough, it affects intonation, flexibility, phrase length, ease and clarity of articulation and, if it decreases overall comfort, finger technique. You need a resistance level that helps you maintain control comfortably and lets you do what the music requires with the greatest efficiency.
Karl
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